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An electroshock device was used on a 22-year-old Hazleton man when city officers searched a home Saturday morning after Jonathan K. Garay, 26, was fatally shot by police.

State police at Hazleton have said Garay was shot in the home by a city police officer after a struggle in which the victim lunged for a gun and attempted to raise it at officers.

His family disputes that, however, stating the shooting wasn't necessary. The family also believed an officer's use of a Taser on a relative in the home was unwarranted.

The Luzerne County District Attorney's Office is still reviewing information collected through the state police investigation to determine whether the shooting was justified.

In arrest papers obtained through magisterial district court, police said a Taser was deployed in a bedroom of the home at 521 Alter St. when Edgar A. Catala repeatedly resisted their commands to show his hands and then attempted to swing a fist at officers while they searched the home for safety reasons after the shooting.

Catala was charged by city police with resisting arrest, simple assault and disorderly conduct. He was arraigned that afternoon by Magisterial District Judge Joseph A. Halesey. Bail was set at $50,000, which Catala later posted through a bondsman, arrest papers state.

He awaits a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Zola scheduled for Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m.

Arrest papers state that additional police officers searched the shooting scene at about 2:49 a.m. Saturday.

They entered the building through the rear door and found an unidentified male lying on the floor and numerous other people, including children, inside the home, police wrote.

Officers began to clear the home room by room, and they asked a female on the first floor if anyone else was inside the home. She replied there were several small children asleep, court papers state.

As police walked upstairs they found several other females along with small children, but also found the front bedroom door was closed and locked from the inside, arrest papers state. When officers asked a woman upstairs who was in the room, she said she didn't know, court papers state.

Arrest papers state police announced their presence and ordered the person behind the locked door to unlock it and come out, but received no response, so they kicked open the door to ensure the scene was safe and no one else needed medical attention. Inside the room officers found Catala, with his back facing them, lying in a bed.

Again an officer announced his presence and instructed Catala to show his hands, court papers state. Catala then turned, looked at the officer and "began to reach into the covers very quickly as if he was attempting to retrieve an item," court papers state. An officer again ordered the man to stop and show his hands, which he refused, police wrote. Catala attempted to reach under his pillow and at that time, the officer reached for Catala's left arm, court papers state.

"While reaching for the defendant's arm (Catala) then stood up and attempted to throw a punch, with closed fists, at this officers [sic]," court papers state.

He was taken to the ground and told to stop resisting and show his hands, but remained combative and attempted to hit two officers with his fists and legs, police state in the arrest papers. Police said they had to use "substantial force" to overcome Catala's resistance and while doing so, an officer deployed his Taser multiple times and then "drive stunned" Catala in the middle to lower back to gain compliance.

Catala then was taken into custody and escorted to the first floor of the home.

achristman@standardspeaker.com

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